Jake Fromm follows Jalen Hurts as true freshman QB winning SEC title

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (11) pitches the ball against Auburn during the Southeastern Conference championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Ga.
Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (11) pitches the ball against Auburn during the Southeastern Conference championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Ga.

ATLANTA - It took 25 years for a true freshman quarterback to win a Southeastern Conference championship game.

It took 12 months for it to happen again.

A year after Jalen Hurts guided Alabama to a third consecutive conference crown, Georgia's Jake Fromm was more than up for the challenge during Saturday's 28-7 defeat of Auburn. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Warner Robins completed 16 of 22 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

"This is just incredible, and it's incredible for the University of Georgia," Fromm said in his first interview opportunity of the season. "I can't thank my teammates enough. They played their hearts out today. This is just an awesome experience."

Fromm was sacked twice on Georgia's opening possession, but those were the only sacks he would sustain all game. He guided an offense that racked up 421 yards and possessed the ball for more than 33 minutes.

"I don't think enough can be said about the response he had," Bulldogs second-year coach Kirby Smart said. "He makes a lot of decisions to put these guys in the right play. He really runs the offense efficiently. He made some throws.

"He was 16-of-22, and those are pretty good numbers for a freshman in an SEC championship."

Fromm completed 13 of 28 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown in the 40-17 loss at Auburn on Nov. 11, when he endured four sacks. The Bulldogs managed just 230 yards all afternoon in their lone setback of what is now a 12-1 season.

So what was different?

"A lot was the mindset," Fromm said. "We obviously had a better game plan coming in. Guys were just ready to play today."

Eason biding time

While Fromm was surrounded by microphones, sophomore Jacob Eason sat quietly beside him until some microphones were placed in front of him. Eason began this season as the starting quarterback but sustained a knee injury during the 31-10 opening win over Appalachian State.

"It's all about the team here, and I'm glad with what the guys accomplished today," Eason said. "I'm glad I could be a part of it."

With Fromm now an SEC champion quarterback and with five-star prospect Justin Fields arriving in a few weeks, Eason was asked about his plans for the months ahead.

"I'm just taking it a day at a time, and I'm glad to be a Bulldog," he said. "I'm glad to be a part of an SEC championship, and I'm excited for the future."

Chubb second all-time

Georgia running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined on 20 carries for just 48 yards in the loss at Auburn, but they teamed on 20 for 122 Saturday. Freshman D'Andre Swift led the Bulldogs with 88 yards on seven carries and sealed the triumph with a 64-yard touchdown with 10:34 remaining.

"We kind of had the motivation from last game, just not being as successful as we wanted to," Chubb said. "We just put it in our minds that no one should be able to stop this offense. We had a great offensive line.

"We have so many talented backs, and the play-calling all came together and worked out for us."

Chubb now has 4,599 career yards, ranking second in school and league history behind Herschel Walker's 5,259 from 1980 to 1982. Michel, who ranks third in Georgia history with 3,359 yards, injured his left knee in the third quarter and is scheduled to undergo an MRI.

Not at full strength

Auburn junior running back Kerryon Johnson rushed 32 times for 167 yards in the Tigers' rout of Georgia last month, but he injured his shoulder during the second half of last week's 26-14 win over Alabama. Johnson had 13 rushes Saturday for 44 yards, and his fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter helped the Bulldogs turn a 13-7 game into a three-touchdown runaway.

"Let's be honest, Kerryon was not 100 percent," Smart said. "He wasn't the same guy he was last game, so that probably helped some as well. We felt getting after the quarterback was the way to beat them, and we did that much better this game than we did the last game."

Odds and ends

Bulldogs senior strong safety Dominick Sanders made his 51st career start, which ranks third in school history for offensive or defensive players behind former quarterbacks David Greene and Aaron Murray, who each had 52. Former kicker Blair Walsh made 53 career starts from 2008 to 2011. Georgia sent out third-string punter and third-string quarterback Brice Ramsey in punt formation on a fourth-and-2 late in the first quarter, forcing Auburn to burn a timeout. Auburn played the second half without senior weakside linebacker Tre' Williams (shoulder) and junior cornerback Carlton Davis (undisclosed). When Georgia lost the ball on downs with under three minutes remaining while trying to run out the clock, it marked just the second time in 49 opportunities this season in which the Bulldogs didn't score in the red zone. Saturday was the fifth Auburn-Georgia game with both teams in the top 10, and it was the first time the Bulldogs won such a matchup. Auburn and Georgia are now each 3-3 in SEC title games.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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